According to their research, the dragon's bite weakens and immobilizes the prey. It then injects venom from special glands in the mouth.

The venom keeps blood from clotting around the prey's wound. And it causes a drop in the blood pressure. The blood loss and the blood pressure drop combine to weaken the animal.

The theory is consistent with what happens to the prey soon after it's bitten, the scientists said. The prey becomes still and unusually quiet, and it bleeds profusely.

"The combination of this specialized bite and venom seem to minimize the dragon's contact with its prey, and this allows it to take large animals," Fry said in a statement released by the University of Melbourne.

Komodo attacks on humans are rare, but some have been reported.

In March, an Indonesian fisherman was killed when he trespassed on a remote island in search of fruit. A month earlier, a ranger in the same park survived after a Komodo dragon climbed the ladder into his hut and bit his hand and foot.